WASHINGTON, DC, April 4, 2016 – The challenges facing LTL providers to meet e-commerce’s final-mile delivery demands will be featured prominently at the CLDA Annual Meeting May 11-14. James L. Welch, CEO of YRC Worldwide Inc. will be the keynote speaker at the conference with his presentation “Final Mile – The Role of LTL”. Welch’s keynote speech will address how the LTL industry and final-mile carriers are partnering to tackle the delivery challenges created by ecommerce.

His remarks will kick-off the industry’s largest gathering of the customized logistics and delivery providers and shippers at the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas, NV.

A 35 year veteran of the transportation and logistics industry, Welch leads the $5 billion transportation company YRC Worldwide and its various operating companies. YRC Worldwide is a leading provider of LTL transportation services throughout North America. Prior to returning to YRC Worldwide in late 2011, Welch was the president and chief executive officer of Dynamex Inc.

The LTL sector’s struggles to meet the challenges posed by e-commerce have spurred them to seek partnerships with regional and local carriers to deliver on the last mile. A recent piece in the Wall Street Journal highlighted the problem characterizing the impact of the e-commerce as “roiling the trucking industry.” It framed the problem this way: “E-commerce comprises 10 to 20 percent of deliveries in the $35 billion [LTL] trucking industry segment… [the industry’s] …Big rigs … are increasingly hauling consumer goods they weren’t designed for into neighborhoods, bumping tree branches and utility wires. Truck drivers, used to moving efficiently from one loading dock to another, must now juggle big, often heavy and more time-consuming home deliveries, too.”

These issues are the reason CLDA’s Annual Meeting is tackling these issues. “The e-commerce boom has upped the need for last-mile deliveries as online retailers compete over who can deliver the fastest,” says CLDA President Kirk Godby. “The explosion of e-commerce has escalated demands for local shipments to businesses and residences. Consumers are shopping on-line for bigger and bigger stuff. While they used to order shoes and sweaters online, now they are ordering couches and big-screen TVs. And they want them delivered right into their homes and setup properly. That’s right in the wheelhouse for CLDA members. We have always handled on-demand, same-day and one-hour deliveries. We have the drivers, equipment, technology and expertise already in place to handle that last mile for shippers and LTL carriers. As companies’ continue to want to deliver things cheaper and faster, CLDA members are the perfect solution to partner with these LTL carriers and other national shippers. That’s our goal for this meeting and the reason we are introducing our new CLDA Exchange at the conference.”

The new CLDA Exchange will bring together LTL carriers, other shippers and CLDA members. There will be three CLDA Exchanges, offering shippers the opportunity to meet directly with over 400 owners and executives of regional and local first and last mile delivery providers to discuss business opportunities. The two CLDA Exchange sessions on Thursday will feature open tables where shippers will meet with last-mile providers. On Friday, shippers will be able to pre-schedule meetings with individual carriers. The conference will also offer private, reserved meeting rooms where specific shippers can meet individually with carriers.

After LTL Executive Welch’s remarks, the conference will present a panel of industry executives who will talk about the partnership of LTL carriers and final-mile carriers. They will discuss the emerging trend of first and final mile delivery providers partnering with LTL carriers to provide final-mile services.

The CLDA Annual Meeting will also continue it tradition of delivering industry-wide educational sessions focused on increasing company profit and operations. In addition to the Thursday panel on LTL carrier opportunities, those sessions will include:

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The Future of Transportation – Apanel of industry leaders discussing trends, challenges, and opportunities in today’s business environment. These experts will share their thoughts on the economy, fuel volatility, e-commerce, technology, M&A, and the “Amazon effect’s” impact on today’s supply chain.

Shipper-Carrier Relations – A panel ofshippers from various industries discussing what it takes to become an approved carrier in their network, the future of the supply chain and how customer expectations will change the way you do business.

How to Compete in the Digital Age –This panel will offer solutions to staying competitive and responding to the coming changes in the same-day delivery market. It will cover “carrier” friendly technology companies and innovative ways to expand a company’s driver network.

Registration is now open and sponsorships are still available. For more information, go to: www.clda2016.com.

About the Customized Logistics and Delivery Association

The Customized Logistics and Delivery Association is an advocate for the profitability and professionalism of companies that keep the global supply chain running. The association opens the doors to business success for delivery companies, logistics providers and the shippers who rely upon them. Members handle the expedited shipping needs of large and small shippers across North America. CLDA has been providing business opportunities, professional development, trend spotting and advocacy for all of those involved with time-critical and last-mile deliveries since 1987. For more information see www.theCLDA.com.